WHO: Guidelines on the use of ARV drugs for treating and preventing HIV infection. Second Edition.

In June the World Health Organisation released the full version of the “Consolidated guidelines on the use of antiretroviral drugs for treating and preventing HIV infection: recommendations for a public health approach”. The first edition was published in 2013.

The guidelines contain key new recommendations to “treat all” people living with HIV, independently of age, immune status, etc. The ARVT is recommended on presence of HIV-infection basis.

The WHO adopted “treat all” policies in September 2015 in its Guideline on when to start antiretroviral therapy and on pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV. Now these policies are included in the consolidated guidelines.

Another ambitious improvement is recommendation to use combined drugs regimen, allowing taking one tablet a day.

WHO Global goal is to provide treatment to all 37 million people living with HIV. The recommendation focusing HIV in children and adolescents are expanded and updated.

In the second edition of the Guidelines the WHO experts provides expanded recommendations on access to pre-exposure prophylaxis for people at substantial risk of HIV infection.

The second edition of WHO guidelines has accumulated and systematized WHO’s recommendations released during the last three years in the framework of other documents of the organisation. Later than expected, but the WHO has had its say. Now the matter depends on the national healthcare authorities of the countries, including of the Russian Federation.

Consolidated guidelines on the use of antiretroviral drugs for treating and preventing HIV infection. Recommendations for a public health approach – second edition, June 2016